Implementing Campus-wide Life Design Initiatives at Bridgewater State University

Year One: Developing and Testing Prototypes

Bridgewater State University (BSU) began its campuswide life design initiative with a handful of prototypes after four faculty and staff attended Stanford University’s Life Design Studio for University Educators in 2021.

In that first year after the Studio training, the two faculty attendees, Dr. Jessica Birthisel and Dr. Michele Meek respectively imbedded life design practices into a first-year seminar course and launched a one-credit Designing Your Life course with a resilience and stress reduction theme. In addition, Prof. Meek hosted an open life design information session in Spring 2022 to garner interest among BSU faculty, staff, and administrators—sharing the slides, assignments, and other course materials.

Meanwhile, the President’s Office asked the staff attendees from the Career Services and Internship Program offices to develop a proposal for integrating Life Design into their offices’ structures. After presenting an institutional-wide draft plan for Life Design, Carol Crosby and Katie Vagen created a three-hour Studio that they offered in multiple sessions with faculty, staff, and students. As a part of preparing for this Studio, the staff adapted the Life Design method and materials to fit BSU’s institutional culture, including a comprehensive customized workbook and a PowerPoint presentation, and named the program Life Design@BSU. These workshops, events, and accompanying assessments then evolved into two Life Design-focused programs: 1. A two-day Studio for a cohort of undergraduate students who are part of a Social Justice Fellowship program and 2. A program combining Life Design methodology with professional competency development for a Massachusetts Board of Higher Education-funded internship placement program for BSU’s students of color and first-generation students.

In addition, both faculty and staff collaborated to develop a longitudinal research project to analyze data on students’ wellness and resilience after participating in a Life Design class or program.

Year Two: Institutional Interest Grows

The success of the pilot classes, studios, and other life design programming attracted attention within the academic and student services areas. In student services, the Student Engagement Office requested a mandatory Life Design session for incoming first year students. In Academic Affairs, ten additional faculty and staff were trained, and used Life Design@BSU materials and activities to facilitate a pilot class for first year students entitled Designing Your BSU. In addition, a pilot student employee program was launched, imbedding career competencies and Life Design into monthly sessions with a career advisor.

Simultaneously, Prof. Meek, in collaboration with Dr. Rita Miller, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, applied for and received two campus grants to fund the launch of a Designing Your BSU course in Fall 2023. The Catalyst Grant, which supports new initiatives, funded two life design guest speakers, Joseph Catrino from Trinity College and Julia Lang from Tulane University, as well as a training for a cohort of over a dozen faculty interested in teaching the course in Fall 2023. Seeing the success of this program, Prof. Meek, with Dean Miller’s support, applied for and received an internal Academic Innovation Grant to implement a wider initiative in the 2023-2024 academic year. The funds support a course release for a faculty member to run the initiative; travel expense reimbursement for four faculty to attend the First Year Experience Conference in 2024; and funds for a Spring 2024 life design campus workshop to train other full- and part-time faculty to teach the course.

Year Three and Beyond: Life Design@BSU

In Fall of 2023, the President’s Office released an updated strategic plan. As part of the University’s commitment to what it calls “BSUWorks,” design thinking and Life Design will now be integrated more deeply into the university’s structure, providing multiple opportunities, both academically and through student support and advising, to immerse all BSU students in the Life Design methodology from year one.

In addition, Prof. Meek began serving as the Designing Your BSU coordinator in Fall 2023, overseeing nine faculty teaching sections of the new course. Nine additional sections are being offered in Spring 2024. Assessments are being done on students in these courses to evaluate the impact on their self-awareness, well-being, and college readiness. In Fall 2024, Dr. Meek plans to submit the course officially through faculty governance so that it can be listed as a distinct course.

Prof. Meek, Carol Crosby, and Dr. Jenny Shanahan, Assistant Provost at the Center for Transformative Learning, are continuing their longitudinal research study on Life Design@BSU with the intention of presenting data to the campus community and beyond. Initial results of the study have demonstrated the positive impact that the Life Design curriculum has on our students: in comparing pre- and post-surveys, students are reporting feeling less anxious about their future career and life goals and visions and are more confident about overcoming obstacles.

Some of the keys to the success of this initiative at BSU have been the Life Design Studio training; a select group of faculty, staff, and administrators eager to innovate; and an engaged community with an interest to serve students early and often in ways that promote students’ academic and life success.

Four Lessons We Learned About Bringing Life Design to a Campus Community

1. Start small.

Although we have accomplished a lot in a two-year period, we started with two classes and one 3-hour Studio, with the work split among two staff members and two faculty. We tested and assessed these pilots and then made bigger plans after seeing positive results. Take one step forward and keep the pace moderate.

2. Find your buddies.

The success we have had in integrating Life Design into the campus community was dependent on finding our collaborators. Talk about Life Design to anyone you meet on your campus and see whose eyes light up. Seek to collaborate with administrators, staff, and faculty whom you know are comfortable with innovation and change.

3. Go with the current.

When you are swimming in a strong current, go with the flow, not against it. Listen to the people around you, conduct and review assessments, brainstorm frequently, see what the campus community wants and wishes for, and then adjust accordingly. In the true nature of Life Design, be ready to pivot or shift direction.

4. Use your village.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help from individuals outside your institution. We asked for and received support from the staff at the Stanford Life Design Lab. We found resources through materials, virtual drop-ins, retreats, newsletters, social media sites, and a few individual conversations; and we brought Life Design practitioners to campus to help build our campus knowledge. We have also received great advice from the overall Life Design community. Connect with people who are open to sharing their wisdom and resources and you will grow and succeed in your vision and plans.